SAN FRANCISCO — Sergio Romo retired as a San Francisco Giant just the way he wanted, pitching one final time for the team he helped to win three World Series championships and then calling it a career Monday night.
In a moment more special than he could have possibly imagined, the entertaining right-hander faced three Oakland batters in the seventh inning at Oracle Park in the exhibition finale for both clubs.
The Giants reached out a few weeks back asking whether Romo might consider tossing an inning — he looked at his arm and asked if it could give it one last hurrah. He had already taken up golf.
So, Bay Area baseball fans were treated to a last listen of Romo's longtime signature «El Mechon» walk-up tune, too. Then he unleashed that nasty slider.
Going against one of his former teams, Romo walked his first batter, threw a wild pitch and surrendered two singles before former teammate Hunter Pence walked out to make a pitching change.
The 40-year-old Romo soaked it all in as he made his way to the dugout, tipped his cap and hugged Giants manager Gabe Kapler and others in a sensational sendoff.
Romo got a curtain call and fought tears as he went back into the dugout.
Saluted with a rousing ovation when he walked to the bullpen to begin his warmup tosses, Romo received more cheers when he came into the spring training game. The A's players watched and clapped from their dugout rail and the Giants grinned witnessing the emotional goodbye to baseball.
Romo played 15 seasons for eight different organizations, including the Athletics, spending his initial nine years with the Giants. The reliever shared a goodbye note Monday to San Francisco on The Players' Tribune.
«Dear San Francisco, Tonight I get to do something one last
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